Today in the Riksdagen (Swedish Parliament), cross party politicians voted overwhelmingly in favour of Gripen next generation fighter aircraft.
“It is a historic day for the Gripen, with unequivocal home political support securing the next generation fighter, Gripen is now even better placed on the export market,” states Eddy de la Motte, Head of Gripen Export at Saab.
In the end, 264 members of parliament voted in favour with 19 against the procurement of between 40-60 Gripen fighters.
“We see an immense interest for Gripen more than ever before from countries around the world due to its unrivalled price/performance capability. At the same time defence budgets are ever more squeezed due to the current economic climate.” states Eddy de la Motte.
The total cost including maintenance and operation is estimated to SEK 90 billion up until 2042.
Source/Author: Saab Gripen blog
Photo: Saab